The Howard Kurtz saga

At the height of his influence, Howard Kurtz was widely regarded as the most influential media reporter and critic in the country. But in recent years, erroneous reporting and careless errors reduced him to fodder for the media reporters and critics who followed in his footsteps.

No single event has dealt such a crushing blow to Kurtz’s reputation as Thursday’s decision to “part ways” — after a serious mistake in a story about gay basketball player Jason Collins — with The Daily Beast, where he has served as columnist and Washington bureau chief since leaving a long, illustrious career with The Washington Post in 2010.

Kurtz's greatest hits

It’s quite a tumble for a reporter who, in 2000, was dubbed “the most important media reporter in America” by The New Republic. That view was widely shared throughout the industry. Five years later, Fox News spokesman and Vice President Brian Lewis similarly called Kurtz “the most influential media reporter — by far — and a ‘must read’ in our place.” For years, Kurtz was known for his peppy, engaging writing style and for his ability to notice buzzy media stories that would set tongues wagging in Washington and New York.

Tina Brown, the editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast, did not explain the reasons for Kurtz’s leaving: “The Daily Beast and Howard Kurtz have parted company,” she said in a statement. Kurtz similarly said on Twitter that “both sides agreed it was best to part company.”

But sources at the Daily Beast and CNN, who spoke to POLITICO on condition of anonymity, said there were several reasons for the breakup: For one thing, Kurtz had a string of high-profile mistakes on his record and that had become a source of embarrassment for The Daily Beast. For another, he commanded a hefty paycheck, despite turning out fewer scoops than in the past.

“People here have been groaning about Howie for years,” a source at CNN said. “He’s like the Dick Morris of media critics — just shoddy and out of the game.”

But perhaps the main factor that led Kurtz out the door, several sources said, was the same quality that had fueled his rise in the first place decades ago: a hyperactive work ethic that ended up dividing his attentions and ultimately proved unsustainable.

“It became clear to folks here that Howie had a lot of other commitments, and that that wasn’t working,” a Daily Beast source said.